Hold On
by NikChik-11
Summary: Lightning gets a sudden phone call, informing him of a fire that spread through his parents' house. They thought it was just coincidence... A tragic coincidence. But, Lightning soon realizes that it was purposely set ablaze. [LS]
1. Chapter 1

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

**o--------------------------o**

**_Hold on_**

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**oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo**

"Okay, focus. One winner, 42 losers. I can do this." Lightning McQueen said to himself as he was about to push the button to open the trailer.

Suddenly, the phone rang, startling him. He answered it, anxious to get out on the track.

"Hello?" He asked, bobbing up and down on his axles.

"Is this Mr. McQueen?" Came his reply.

"Uh, yeah."

"I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"What is it?" Lightning asked confusedly.

It was silent on the line for a moment, before the mysterious person answered. "It's your parents… There's—There's been a fire."

Lightning's eyes widened as he comprehended what he said.

"Are you still there, sir?" The person asked.

"Uh, yea, yea." He replied, finding his voice. "Are—Are they… ok?"

Again, it was silent on the other end of the line. "I'm afraid not." He said finally.

**o----------------------------------------------------------------o**

"Where is he?" Doc Hudson asked to no one in particular. He continued to pace around in circles, until he finally let out a cry of frustration.

"Sally, will you please go see where that hot-rod is? He was supposed to be here half an hour ago!"

"Ok, Doc. I'll go check his trailer." Sally said, grateful that she could get away from all the tension.

As she made her way over to his trailer, she let her thoughts drift to Lightning. She didn't even notice it when she arrived at the back of the stadium. She drove up to his trailer door, smiling when she saw the larger image of him.

She knocked a few times, and was about to drive away, when she heard someone inside.

"Go away." Said a muffled voice.

"Stickers?" She asked, recognizing it.

"Please, just… go away."

"Stickers? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, now leave me alone!"

"Let me in." Sally asked politely.

"No, Sal, I want to be alone." Lightning replied quietly.

"Please? Let me in." Sally persisted.

"Sally…"

"Lightning McQueen! I love you, and I want to help you. And if you love me, then you'll let me in!" Sally shouted at the door.

It was quiet for a few minutes, before she heard the metallic 'click', and the door slowly lowered. She looked into the trailer, and saw Lightning with his back to her. She inched into the trailer, coming up behind him.

He turned to face her, and the first thing she noticed, was that he had tears welled up in his eyes, but there was no sign of them on his hood.

"Are…you ok?" She asked, a look of concern spreading over her face.

He didn't reply, but just looked down at his tires. Sally watched him intently, and noticed that he was trying to fight the urge to cry. She inched a little closer, nuzzling his front fender with her own.

"Stickers, what's wrong?" She asked, giving a small, encouraging smile.

He sighed, still staring at his tires. "It's nothing. Really."

Sally sighed, frowning slightly. "Are you sure? You look upset."

He closed his eyes, remaining silent for a second. "I _really_ don't want to talk about it." He said quietly.

Sally didn't reply. She gave him a small smile, and sighed. "Well, I won't make you. But if there's anything else that you want..."

He looked up at her, a few tears involuntarily trickling down his hood. He looked back down embarrassedly, not wanting her to see.

She nuzzled his fender, feeling how warm it was. "Anything." She repeated.

"C-Can we just go home?" He asked, looking back up, and into her eyes.

"I'll talk to Doc." She replied, smiling softly. She kissed him goodbye, and silently made her way out of the trailer.

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_Wondering what happened? And how come Lightning won't tell anybody? You'll find out soon enough… I'm going to start on the sequel to Let Go perdy soon, and I'm not even going to mention that other story…_

_Reviews'd be nice. D_


	2. Chapter 2

"Doc—" Sally started, thinking about what had just happened.

"Did you find McQueen?" Doc asked anxiously, cutting her off.

She fidgeted for a second, trying to think of what to say. "Um, can I—Can I talk to you for a second?

"Sure." Doc replied, surprised. "About what? And where's--?"

"He's in his trailer… And something's not right." Sally interrupted.

Doc gave her a questioning look, remaining silent.

"Something's bothering him, and he doesn't want to talk about it." Sally continued, looking worried. "I don't know what's wrong, but I think it's serious."

"Well, what exactly was he doing?" Doc asked, concerned.

Sally looked at the ground, thinking. "He didn't want me to come in, for one thing."

"He didn't? Well, that's odd. He's crazy about you." Doc replied, smiling coyly.

Sally offered a small smile, her face reddening. "What? Why do you say that?"

Doc continued to grin. "You're all he ever talks about."

Sally looked to the ground, her face growing even redder. "But that's not the weird part," She continued, trying to recover herself. "He was crying when he talked to me."

Doc gave her a skeptical look. "Well that's defiantly not like him. I wonder what was wrong."

Sally shook her front, wondering the same thing. "He asked if we could just go home."

"Go home?" Doc repeated exasperatedly. "Does he know how many points he could lose?"

"I don't really think he cares right now… He's really shaken up over something."

Doc stared at her for a moment, thinking it over. "Well, I guess we should… I don't want him driving upset. Remember what happened last time?"

"What?" Sally asked questioningly.

"Oh, right. I forgot that you weren't there to see the beginning… At the last race, he was screwing _everything_ up." Doc said, slightly chuckling.

"He was? Why?" Sally asked, raising a windshield.

"He was just a little off. I'm guessing that he was thinking of everything that was just taken away from him. Radiator Springs, the scenery, his new friends… and you." Doc said, smiling warmly.

Sally felt her face growing hot, and couldn't help but smile.

Doc's smile faded, and he suddenly became stern. "Ok, well I guess we better get him home, and see what's bugging him."

Sally nodded, and lowering her gaze to the ground, smiling to herself.

o----------------------------------------------------------------------o

The drive home was an excruciatingly long one. To Sally it seemed longer than the ride up there. She again let her mind drift to Lightning, and she had to admit, she was pretty worried about him. She couldn't stop thinking about what Doc had said earlier.

Had he really been thinking about her? Was he crying that night he left because he didn't want to leave her? Did he return for _her_? She smiled as she thought about this, not even noticing when Flo came up beside her.

"Hey, hun. You ok?" She asked in a motherly tone.

Sally sighed, smiling softly. "Yea, I was just thinking about Stickers…"

"Aaaaaaa." Flo said in a knowing tone. "You two sure are getting close."

"Yeah, I was just thinking about—Well, if he… loves me." She said embarrassedly.

Flo smiled. "Of course he does. Hasn't he ever told you?"

"Well, not exactly. I told him that I loved him and that if he loved me he would let me help… And he did. Does that count?"

Flo thought for a moment. "Well, technically, I guess. But hasn't he ever just said that he loves you?"

"No. But when he first showed up, I overheard him and Mater talking about me." Sally said, watching her tires crunching on the asphalt beneath them.

"Well, what did he say?"

Sally smiled, reminiscing in that wonderful night. "Well, he was just telling Mater how I was letting him stay at the motel, and Mater started picking on him… He tried convincing Mater that he didn't like me, and—" Sally cut off, laughing as she remembered what Lightning did next.

"Well, what happened?" Flo asked anxiously, smiling herself.

"Mater tricked him, by saying 'Hey, there's Miss Sally!' And he raced forward, looking all around him before realizing what Mater did."

Flo laughed, smiling warmly at the younger Porsche. "So he must really like you."

"Yeah…" Sally said awkwardly. "Hey, Flo? Can I ask you something, sort of… personal?"

"Sure sweetheart, I don't mind." Flo replied, still smiling.

"When was the first time you and Ramone—kissed?"

Flo looked over surprisingly, quickly softening. "Oh, I don't honestly remember… Probably a few weeks after we started dating."

"Oh." Sally said, looking a little down.

"Why sweetheart? Have you and Lightning…?" Flo asked, drifting off.

Sally watched as a couple drove past them, driving close to one another. "Not yet." She replied, still watching the couple ahead of them.

Flo looked over at her, not hiding her surprise. "You haven't? But you two have been together for at least a few months!"

"Well, sure, maybe a peck on the fender, but we haven't actually made lip contact yet!" Sally said, with a small laugh.

Flo shook her front, laughing. "Well, do you want to?"

Sally looked down awkwardly. "Sort of… I was waiting for him to make the first move."

"Well, maybe he's too shy."

Sally looked up, smirking. "Oh, yea, he's been in front of millions of cars… He's _definitely_ a shy one."

Flo laughed at her sarcastic remark, shaking her front again. "No, I meant around you. Most guys are shy around the girls they like."

Sally thought for a moment. "Really? That would make sense… He never really liked me to kiss him in public…"

Flo and Sally continued to talk about Lightning until they finally made it back to Radiator Springs. They didn't even realize it, until Doc stopped everyone just outside of Flo's.

"Ok, we're home. Let's all get to bed, I'm sure that we could all use some rest." Doc said, driving around to the back of Lightning's trailer.

He knocked on it a few times, not getting an answer. "Hey Mack! Can you open his trailer for us?"

"Okey-dokey, hold on a minute." Mack replied, driving back up front.

The door slowly lowered, to reveal Lightning fidgeting in his sleep. He kept mumbling something, his tires moving back and forth.

"Is he having a bad dream or something?" Sheriff asked from beside Doc.

"I don't know…" Doc replied, suddenly turning to Mater. "Hey Mater, will you tow him to his cone for me?"

Mater drove forward excitedly, beaming. "Well, shore Doc! I'll do it!"

Mater slipped his tow cable under his best friend's bumper, and started to gently drag him out of the trailer. Lightning kept fidgeting his front tires, and murmuring something under his breath. He took a sharp intake of breath, suddenly revving his engine loudly.

Mater let out a startled cry, before being dragged backwards by Lightning.

"Stickers! Stickers, stop!" Sally cried.

"Hot-rod, cut it out! Somebody go wake him up!" Doc shouted over Mater's squeals of excitement.

Hearing all the commotion, Red suddenly came out from his firehouse. Wondering what was going on, he drove in front of the sleeping Lightning. He honked his horn loudly, waking him up.

Lightning slammed on his brakes, sending Mater skidding to a stop beside him. "Woooweee! That was fu-un!" Mater exclaimed.

Lightning looked around confusedly, his eyes resting on Sally. "What just happened?"

"You were asleep, so we decided to tow you to your cone, but you went berserk and started dragging Mater around town." Doc said heatedly, a drop of concern in his voice. "Are you ok?"

Lightning took a deep breath, aware that everyone's eyes were on him. "I- I… It was just a bad dream." He stammered.

Sally drove forward, nuzzling his fender. She felt how hot it was, knowing that he was probably embarrassed. "It's ok, Stickers. How about you just go get some sleep?"

Lightning nodded, reversing, and driving toward his cone without another word. Sally just watched him go, a worried expression on her face.

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_Reviews pleez?? I'd just like to thank all my reviewers!!!_

_Friends of Leo_

_XForeignxConceptsx_

_Warriorsgirl664_

_Lmqcrazii95_

_Megie-onCarFreak_

_Potternutter_

_Mad About McQueen_

_Thankies!!!_


	3. Chapter 3

_What is wrong with him? _Sally thought to herself, watching her boyfriend sit in a corner by himself. She drove over to him, noticing for the first time how exhausted he looked.

"Are you ok, Stickers? You looked tired…" She asked, kissing him on the fender.

He blushed, looking up from his untouched drink to see everyone's worried eyes on him. "Yea… I am."

"Have you not been getting any sleep?" She asked, nuzzling him.

"Not really." He replied, stifling a yawn.

"Why haven't you gotten any sleep, sweetheart?" Flo asked in a motherly tone.

Lightning shifted on his tires, taking in a deep breath. "I've been having……nightmares."

An uneasy silence followed, Lightning looked back down at his drink, determined not to think about what had happened nearly a few days ago.

"I think that maybe you should come into my clinic for a check-up… Maybe I can prescribe some sleeping pills." Doc offered, breaking the silence.

Lightning nodded, not looking up.

o----------------------------------------------------------------------------o

Lightning entered the tiny clinic, slowly driving onto the lift in the center of the room. Doc came in behind him, pushing the button that sent him upwards.

"So… What's new?" Doc asked, trying to make small talk.

Lightning sighed, shifting on his tires. "Nothing..." He muttered.

Doc noticed his agitated tone, frowning slightly. "Kid, is there something bothering you?"

Lightning didn't reply, feeling tears prickling in his eyes. _No, no, I can't cry now. Not in front of him._

Doc drove out from under the lift, noticing the pained expression on Lightning's face.

"Are you crying?" He asked, watching Lightning intently.

Lightning sniffled. "No."

Doc laughed lightly. "Really? So your eyes are just leaking?"

Lightning closed his eyes, feeling a few tears fall down his sides. "Doc, please…. Don't."

He felt the lift being lowered to the ground, and he shakily rolled off it. Doc got in front of him, looking him in the eyes.

"Tell me what's wrong." He stated, sounding a lot like Lightning's father.

This thought made Lightning start crying even harder. He decided that trying not to think about it, only made it worse.

"I-It's my—my parents." He gasped through his sobs.

Surprised, Doc gave him a questioning look. "Your parents?"

Lightning nodded, sighing wearily as the tears continued to trickle down his hood. Doc drove over and parked next to him, nuzzling him in a fatherly way. Lightning leaned on him, letting the rest of his tears flow.

They stayed this way for awhile, until Lightning finally calmed down enough to talk about it.

"They were killed last weekend… in a—a fire."

Knowing how Lightning didn't exactly deal with panic that well, Doc embraced him, letting the young car know that someone was there for him.

o-----------------------------------------------------------------------o

Lightning drove out of his cone, squinting into the bright early morning sunlight. He saw Sally come out of her own cone, hurrying over to him.

"Hey Stickers, I heard about what happened… Are you ok?" She said breathlessly.

He tried to force a smile, but his depression showed through. "I guess…"

She smiled softly, inching a little closer to him. "I know what'll cheer you up… How 'bout a drive?"

He shook his front, sighing. "Not right now Sal, I'm still really—"

She rushed forward, closing the gap between their lips. Reversing quickly, she took a deep breath, attempting to calm her nerves. She looked up at Lightning, to see him staring wide-eyed at her.

"…Did you just…?" He asked, a smiled curving on his lips.

She smiled slyly at him, giving him a flirty look. "Maybe… So, how about that drive?"

Feeling as if his face couldn't grow any warmer, he nodded, smiling happily at her.

o-----------------------------------------------------------------------o

"No way! You used to sing _karaoke_?" Lightning asked, laughing.

They were on their way up to Wheel Well, having decided to take a slow drive.

"Yes," Sally replied, laughing as well. "Shut up, I thought I sounded pretty good."

Lightning smiled slyly. "Then sing something."

"Ok, I will." Sally said firmly. She cleared her throat, then started to sing in the most beautiful voice that Lightning had ever heard.

When she got done, she looked over at Lightning to see him staring open-mouthed at her. She laughed, driving a little closer to him.

"You have an _amazing_ voice." He said softly, staring at her with awe.

"Thanks. Ok, your turn." She replied.

He looked over at her frightfully. "What? No! I-I can't sing!"

She laughed, nudging him with her tire. "Oh, come on! I sang something, now it's your turn."

He shook his front, stopping in front of their usual spot. "Sal, I _can't_—"

"Baby." Sally muttered, cutting him off.

"I am not."

"Are too…" Sally said, pouting exaggeratedly.

Lightning sighed in defeat. "Ok, ok, I'll sing something."

He took a deep breath, and started to sing…

"_There's you and me, and all of the people,_

_And nothing to do, nothing to lose._

_Cause there's you and me, and all of the people,_

_And I don't know why, but I can't keep my eyes off of you._"

The whole time while he was singing, he was looking at Sally. He stopped, looking down bashfully at the ground.

Sally drove forward, and kissed him on the fender. "Stickers, that was beautiful…"

"Yea, well…" He said, returning the kiss. He pulled away, stopping just inches in front of her face. He moved forward again, this time interlocking their lips. She returned it passionately, feeling his lips curve into a smile.

After a few seconds, they pulled apart, smiling happily at each other. Lightning let out his breath, looking into her eyes. "Why hadn't we done that sooner?"

Sally shook her front. "No idea… I was waiting for you to make the first move, so I guess I got what I wanted." She said with a small laugh.

He nodded. "I'm glad that you did the first one though. I never would have had the courage to…"

He cut off embarrassedly, turning away from her. She cuddled up closer to him, feeling how warm his face was.

"Aw, Stickers… You're so cute when you act all shy."

He turned to look at her. "I do not…"

"Yes you do, whenever I kiss you in public, or you say something like that—" She said, smirking.

"Do not!" He argued, poking his lip out.

She laughed, looking down at the scenery below them. A silence had fallen over them, with Sally still cuddled against Lightning.

"So… Where did you learn to sing like that?" Lightning asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know… I've always liked singing. How about you?"

"I guess I learned it from my da—" He cut off at the mentioning of his dad, looking at the ground.

Sally noticed it, and cuddled even closer to him. "It's ok, Stickers."

They were quiet for a little while, before Sally finally gathered the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind all day. "Stickers?"

"Hmm?" He replied, still staring down over the cliff.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

He turned to face her, a look of shame on his face. "I-I don't know…" He sighed, looking away from her. "I guess I thought that maybe—maybe if I didn't talk about it… It wouldn't—"

"Be true?" She finished for him. He nodded, looking up at her.

She nuzzled his fender with her own, trying to comfort him. "Stickers, I know that what you're going through is hard, but you can talk to me about anything…"

He looked into her eyes for a split second, before smiling softly, and replying, "Yea… I know."

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_Just thought I'd end the chapter on a happy note… Lol, and I get what you're saying potternutter, It is sorta missing something. It's like, it doesn't have that "hook, line, and sinker" feeling… I don't know, I'll sleep on it. ;)_

_I like reviews… so help a friend and push that lil blue button, k? Please & Thankies!_


	4. Chapter 4

All had been well throughout the next few days. The usual peace had been restored amongst the inhabitants of Radiator Springs. Lightning had become more cheerful, acting as though nothing had happened at all. But that's only what the other's thought. As soon as Lightning was out of sight, safely in his cone, he would sink into a deep depression, and often shed a few tears. One night, however, all that distress seemed to worsen.

Ring, ring, ring,

"Hello?" Lightning said into the telephone receiver, trying to steady his voice the best he could.

"Is this McQueen?"

Lightning sighed. "Yes, what do you want?"

"I called to warn you." Came the gruff reply.

Lightning remained silent for a moment. "Is this some kind of sick joke?" He asked finally.

"No, no… No joke." The car said coldly. "Have you ever wondered how, exactly, your parents died?"

Lightning's eyes widened at the question, thought he didn't ask into it. "They—They were killed in a fire… Weren't they?"

He heard laughter on the other line. Not joyous laughter, but laughter that almost seemed… maniacal.

After the laughter subsided, he heard the other car start to talk again in his calm tone. "Yes, a fire. But no ordinary fire… A fire triggered with gasoline."

"What?" Lightning said, confused as to why he was being harassed by a total stranger. "What are you talking about? And why do you care?"

He heard the laughter again, but this time slightly quieter. "I care because I caused it."

Lightning stared in total shock at the phone. He had not expected that. He felt rage start to bubble under his hood, threatening to burst at any second. "What?! What the hell are you trying to say?!"

"I'm telling you, that it was I who murdered your parents."

Lightning frowned, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "And who, exactly, are you?"

"None of your business." The car suddenly snapped, momentarily losing his coolness. "That was just a sign anyways…"

"A sign?" Lightning shouted. "A sign to what?!"

"A sign as to what may come."

Lightning didn't reply, but remained silent. So his parents were actually murdered? And for no good reason at all? Just to prove something? Lightning blinked rapidly, forcing himself not to cry, and tried to keep his cool.

"And," The car continued. "Even worse possibilities are being planned as we speak."

"Wha—What?" Lightning asked quietly.

"Your girlfriend. Sally Carrera. I plan to… meet her soon."

"What—What are you talking about?" Lightning asked worriedly.

"Ms. Carrera will soon be mine… And all you have to do, is end your relationship." The car said menacingly.

Shocked, Lightning felt the tears welling in his eyes again. "What?! No! I-I can't!"

"Oh, you will." The car replied coldly. "Or neither of us can have her."

Tears trickling down his hood, Lightning struggling to keep his voice from failing. "What—What does that mean?"

"It means… She might have an 'accident'. Sort of like your parents."

And with that, the mysterious car hung, up, leaving Lightning sitting in the middle of the floor, with tears slowly falling from his eyes. He just sat there, his mind suddenly blank, the dial tone the only thing he could hear.

Sally watched, unnoticed, as Lightning hung up the phone, his breathing getting heavier, his hood tear stained. She drove around to his garage door, knocking a few times. He answered after the fifth knock, looking a bit troubled.

"Lightning are you ok? I heard shouting…" She asked, a concerned look on her face.

Lightning took a deep, weary breath. "Yeah, yeah… Everything's fine. Hey, look, can you possibly, come back another time?"

"Um, sure. Call if you need anything." She replied, reversing slowly, and watching him close his garage door through her rearview mirrors.

o--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

Ok, so I promised chapter 8 of Cars 3... and this is what I did. Gawd I suck. Lol, I promise I'll get to work on it as soon as I get some free time guys. I already have chapter 5 of this done, but I'll wait and give it to ya tomorrow. Build tension.

Mwahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!


	5. Chapter 5

"What am I going to do? I can't possibly… No I won't. I have to think. Think, think, think." Lightning kept muttering to himself.

Sally watched him, a concerned look on her face. Flo drove up to her, handing her her usual.

"Anything wrong, sweetheart?"

"Huh?" Sally asked, startled. "Oh, uh, it's nothing… I was just wondering what Stickers was talking about."

Lightning continued to pace, muttering under his breath, oblivious to all the cars staring worriedly at him. He sighed exasperatedly, driving in the other direction towards Wheel Well.

"Maybe you should go talk to him… He looks troubled." Flo suggested.

Sally nodded. "There's definitely something he's not telling us." And with that, she took off after him.

o-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

What am I going to do? Lightning thought, staring down at the small town below him. I can't do it… I just can't possibly do it! He sighed, closing his eyes tightly in frustration. But I have no choice.

He suddenly heard a car's engine, but ignored it. He was aware that somebody else was there with him, but he didn't dare open his eyes.

"Stickers?"

He opened his eyes to see Sally's worried face staring at him. He looked down, knowing what he had to do.

"Are you ok? Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

He sighed. "No, not really."

She smiled a little. "You remember that I said you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"Yeah, I remember."

They were silent for a few moments, not knowing what else to say. Lightning fidgeted, thinking about the conversation on the phone.

"Sally?"

"Yes?" She replied, smiling.

He looked back down at his tires. Seeing her smiling face seemed to just make it even harder. "I-I… We need to talk."

"'Bout what?"

"About… us." He replied, still staring at his tires.

He barely glance up, noticing her stunned expression. "I-I mean… I think we—We might need to…" He gulped, not able to get his words out straight.

"We might need to, what?" Sally asked.

Lightning sighed, and took a deep breath. "Things-just-aren't-working-out-and-I-think-we-need-to-break-up." He said quickly, focusing his eyes on a rock in front of him.

He looked up to see Sally, looking as if she would bust out laughing at any moment.

"What? What are you talking about, Lightning McQueen?"

He sighed. "I think we need to break up."

She suddenly realized he wasn't kidding. "Are—Are you serious?"

He didn't reply, but looked sadly at the ground instead. He couldn't see her, but already knew that she was crying.

"What? But—But everything was going so well! Why do you want to end it, just like that?" She asked, starting to cry even harder.

He still didn't look up, not wanting to see her hurt. He felt his own tears stinging at his eyes, but didn't dare let them fall.

"Why? Why, Stickers?" She asked, nuzzling his fender. He felt how warm her engine was, and the tears that clung to her hood. He backed away from her, feeling his own hot tears fall rapidly from his eyes. He looked into her eyes, seeing the hurt, and confusion. He couldn't stand it, he didn't want to stand it.

"Sally, please! Please stop crying! I-I don't want to see you hurt." He cried, tears streaming down his sides.

"Then why did you break up with me?!" She sobbed.

"Because I had to! Don't ask questions, please! I'm-I'm sorry, just please, please don't—cry." He said, closing his eyes momentarily, tears still trickling down his hood.

Shocked, Sally just sat there, watching Lightning cry, her own tears still falling. He reversed away from her, racing back towards town, blinded by his own tears.

o--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

Ok... Short and not-so-sweet... Lol, This was a little to short, but I needed to post it, so yea... Reviews please!!!


	6. Chapter 6

As Doc drove out of his clinic, and was about to head out to Flo's for his lunch break, he heard the distant rumbling of an engine. He turned just in time to see Lightning racing down the road toward the Cozy Cone. Seeing how upset he looked, Doc quickly drove over to him, blocking his path.

"What's up with you, boy?" He asked, noticing the tears in Lightning's eyes, and on his hood.

"Doc, this isn't really a good time." He said, trying to drive around him.

Doc stopped him. "As far as I'm concerned, anytime is perfect. And you can't race this Sunday if you're upset over something." He said sternly.

"Why am I not surprised?!" Lightning cried, breaking down in tears. He attempted to drive around Doc again, only to be blocked.

"What are you talking about, McQueen?" Doc asked, surprised.

"I'm losing everything that I ever cared about!" Lightning exclaimed, sobbing hysterically. "I-I don't know what to do! It seems like my whole life is falling apart…"

"What?" Doc said, driving beside him. "What are you talking about? What did you lose?"

Lightning sobbed again, his whole body shaking. "First my parents, and my childhood home, and now…" He turned away from Doc, another sob escaping him.

"What, Lightning? What else? What happened?"

"I just crushed the heart of the only person I ever loved." He said, still not looking at Doc, his eyes shut tight.

Doc remained silent, watching as Lightning cried. He sighed, trying to think of what to do.

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly.

Lightning opened his eyes, looking sadly at the ground. "I just broke up with Sally."

Confused, Doc just stared at him, then up at the road leading to Wheel Well, where he saw the Porsche slowly approaching._ I'll ask into it later…_ He thought, smiling softly at the distressed stock car beside him.

"Hey, how 'bout you go get some rest hotshot. You look like you could use it." He suggested, nudging his tire lightly.

Lightning sighed. "Whatever." He muttered, before driving slowly to his cone.

Doc watched as he drove away, then slowly approached Sally. She was staring at the ground, looking depressed, and confused.

"Sally?"

She looked up at him, sighing.

"Anything wrong?" He asked, trying to sound sincere.

She sighed again. "I just got dumped."

"Really?" He asked.

"Yea… Lightning didn't even really have a good reason. He just dumped me, just like that." She said, looking at the ground confusedly.

"Oh, well, I'm sorry." Doc said distractedly. _So that's why he acted like that…_ He thought, driving back to his clinic for the day.

o-----------------------------------------------------------------------o

Doc had been thinking about what had happened most of the night, deciding that maybe if he talked to Lightning, he could get it out of him. He rolled out of his clinic, noticing the red car exiting his cone. He drove over casually, noticing how depressed he looked.

"Have a good night's sleep, hotshot?" He asked.

"No." Lightning muttered, stifling a yawn.

They remained silent for the rest of the drive to Flo's, Lightning staring at the ground the whole time. Doc let him get fueled up, and then pulled up beside him.

"Hey kid, do you want to get some practice in by lunch?" He asked, smiling at him.

Lightning sighed. "Yea, I guess."

They drove out of Flo's, heading toward Willy's Butte.

"So… Kid, why exactly did you break up with Sally?" Doc asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"I _told_ you already… I can't tell you." Lightning said heatedly, speeding up a little.

Frowning, Doc sped up, remaining beside him. "Why not? I'm just worried."

"Because I can't!" Lightning exclaimed, turning around. "Now quit asking, and leave me alone."

And with that, he drove off, heading back toward Radiator Springs.

o---------------------------------------------------------------------------o

**That was a sorry excuse for a chapter… Lol, now for some reviews!**

**(I'm expecting one especially from you, GOOGLE-ER!!!!) **


	7. Chapter 7

"Why can't he understand that there are just some things I can't tell him?" Lightning asked himself, sighing exasperatedly. He drove slowly into his cone, just as the phone rang.

_I don't feel like talking to anyone!_ Lightning thought, deciding to ignore it. The phone kept ringing, and ringing, and was starting to agitate Lightning. He furiously pushed the "talk" button, ready to explode.

"What?!" He snapped into the receiver.

"Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

Lightning's eyes widened as he realized who was on the other line. "What now? I did what you told me to do!"

"Yes, yes, I see that you did. Now, it is time for your next job." The car said calmly.

"What?! But-but, I thought you s-said…" Lightning stuttered. "I-I thought you said if I break up with Sally, then you wouldn't hurt her. So there! I did it, she's yours!"

The other car laughed lightly on the other line. Lightning waited patiently for him to stop, starting to get slightly annoyed.

"You stupid car, you didn't _actually_ think that I wanted your girlfriend, did you?" The car said coldly.

Lightning gaped at the phone, his mind suddenly going blank. "But, but wait! I-I thought…"

"That's exactly what's wrong with this picture. You _thought_." The car said harshly, cutting him off. "Now, for your next assignment…"

"I'm not doing anything else for you. We had a deal… I break up with her, and you don't hurt her. That was it!" Lightning shouted into the phone.

"Shut _up_, and listen to me! If you don't do _exactly_ as I say, then you _will_ pay." The car said menacingly. "I have more power than you could _ever_ imagine."

Lightning remained silent for a moment, tears of frustration welling in his eyes. "I-I don't understand! Why are you doing this to me?!" He cried.

"My own personal reasons." The car stated simply. "Now, unless you want someone _else_ to end up like your parents, I suggest that you listen to me."

"Fine," Lightning muttered. "What do you want?"

The other car remained quiet for a moment, pondering the thought. "I want you to kill your pit crew captain." He said finally.

"What?! _No_!" Lightning exclaimed, eyes wide.

"Kill the old man, or you'll pay. Big time." She car replied maliciously.

"I'm_ not_ killing him!" Lightning shouted, but it was too late. The car had already hung up.

"Stupid son of a—" Lightning screamed, slamming the phone into the wall.

"Stickers?" He heard a curious voice behind him. His eyes widened in fear. _How long has she been here?_ He thought, turning around to come face-to-face with Sally.

He was surprised to see that she looked almost scared. He didn't say anything, but looked down at the ground sadly instead.

"Who _was_ that?" She asked, searching his face, as if to find the answer.

He sighed, shaking his front. "Nobody. Um, I-I gotta go see Doc about something." And with that, he drove past her and out of the cone, still not looking her in the face.

o--------------------------------------------------------------------------o

"Doc?" Lightning called out, as he entered the clinic.

"Come in." He heard the older car reply. He obeyed, and slowly rolled into the small office. He looked over to where Doc was, apparently buried in paperwork.

"Um, uh… Hey, Doc, I… uh… don't feel to well." Lightning lied.

Doc looked up at him, not buying it. Lightning smiled sheepishly, praying that he looked convincing.

"What do you really want?" Doc asked, returning to the papers. Lightning sank down low on his shocks, seeing that it wasn't going to work.

Lightning looked up at all the sharp and pointy tools on the walls, then back at Doc. He gulped, then returned his gaze to Doc.

"I can't do it…" He muttered under his breath, tears prickling in his eyes. He turned around quickly, heading for the exit.

Doc noticed this, and drove around quickly to cut him off. "Boy, what are you talking about? There is something going on, and I want to know what right now."

Lightning looked up at him, blinking back his tears, trying to decide what to do.

"Doc, I-I want to, I really do… But I just can't. I'm—I'm sorry."

"Why not?" Doc asked, staring hard at him.

"Because I'm scared!" Lightning shouted, backing away from him. "There, I said it! Are you happy now?!"

Doc remained silent for a moment, staring at the frustrated car in front of him.

"What are you scared of?" He asked finally, giving Lightning a questioning look.

Lightning didn't reply, but glared angrily at the floor instead. Doc drove up beside him, trying to comfort him. Lightning's expression softened a little, as he realized that he didn't have a choice but to tell him. It was that, or kill him.

"I'm scared because… someone is threatening me." He said quietly.

"Who's threatening you?" Doc asked concernedly, his eyes narrowed.

Lightning shook his front, sighing. "I have no idea. But that's why I had to break up with Sally… Because they threatened to hurt her if I didn't."

"What else happened?" Doc asked, driving to look him in the face.

"They killed my parents, called me, threatened to hurt Sally, and then threatened to do something else if I didn't—If I didn't—" Lightning said, struggling with what he wanted to say.

"If you didn't do what?" Doc asked patiently. Lightning slowly glanced up at him, looking him in the eyes.

"If I didn't kill you." He replied quietly, tears welling up in his eyes again.

Doc reversed a little, shocked. An uneasy silence followed, them just staring at each other. Lightning looked back down at the ground, not wanting Doc to see the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.

"So… Somebody threatened to hurt someone you know, unless you killed me?" Doc asked, a stunned look on his face.

Lightning nodded, sniffling a little.

Doc's look softened, and he slowly rolled over to Lightning. "Don't cry, son…"

"I'm not crying."

Doc raised his brow, smiling a little. "Ok, ok… But everything's gonna be alright, ok?"

Lightning looked up, tears falling freely down his hood. "How can you be so sure? That guy's been watching me, and is probably going to kill you now. Or worse!"

Doc laughed a little. "What's worse than dying?"

Lightning didn't reply, mainly because he was crying too hard to talk.

"Look, we're not going to let anything happen to you, or anyone else, ok? We'll find that sick pervert, and teach him to mess with you." Doc said reassuringly.

"Thanks, Doc." Lightning muttered, smiling a little, his tears still falling.

o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------o

**Ok, so was that better than the last one? I hope so… It's getting close to the good part!**


	8. Chapter 8

"Son, I think you need to tell Sally. She's been really worried about you." Doc said as he escorted Lightning out of the clinic.

Lightning nodded, smiling guiltily. "I know… I wanted to tell her, but I was worried that car would hurt her."

Doc nodded in understandment, starting to drive down towards Flo's.

"Doc, wait a minute." Lightning said suddenly, stopping him.

He turned around, shooting him a questioning look. "What is it, hotshot?"

Lightning looked down at the ground, rolling his tire embarrassedly. "I just wanted to say… Thanks again, you know, for everything."

"No problem." Doc replied, smiling.

"And, Doc… Can you not tell anyone about this?" Lightning asked, looking up at him.

Doc raised his windshield, a little confused. "You don't want anybody to know about you getting threatened? What's so bad about that?"

"No, no… Not that. I meant about me crying."

Doc laughed, shaking his front. Lightning smiled too, waiting for his answer.

"Sure, kid. Your secret's safe with me." Doc replied, nudging his tire. "But let me give you some advice; Showing that you can cry doesn't make you any less of a man. It only shows that you're stronger."

Lightning smiled a little, reversing. "Hey, tell Sal to meet me at Wheel Well, will ya?"

"Sure thing, kid." Doc replied, watching him drive away.

o------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

"Stickers?" Sally called out, noticing the red stock car just in front of the ridge, staring out at the scenery.

He turned around, smiling sheepishly. "Uh, hey…"

She parked next to him, sighing in confusion. "Lightning, what's been going on?"

"Sal, I really wanted to tell you, I was just… afraid."

"Afraid?" She repeated, giving him a skeptical look. "Of what?"

"I was afraid that you'd get hurt." He replied, staring down at his tires.

She didn't reply right off, trying to think of what to say. "How would I get hurt, with a car like you around to protect me?" She asked finally, smiling.

He blushed involuntarily, smiling for just a moment. "But, that's not what I'm talking about, Sal… I-I… He……It," He said, struggling with his words. He sighed exasperatedly, stomping a tire in frustration. "I need to explain this to you… It's just too difficult."

She nuzzled his fender comfortingly, quickly backing away after realizing what she was doing. "I probably shouldn't have done that since we're not… you know."

"But that's just it!" Lightning exclaimed. "I _want_ us to be together."

"Then why did you break up with me?" Sally asked, narrowing her eyes in confusion.

Lightning sighed, closing his eyes. _Why is this so hard?_ He asked himself, opening his eyes and looking Sally in the face. "Ok, ok… I guess I need to start from the beginning, right?"

Sally nodded. "That would be nice."

He took a deep breath, before plunging into the truth. "Ok, so somebody… is threatening me. A stalker." Sally's eyes widened in surprise, but she remained quiet.

"They murdered my parents, then called later and threatened to hurt you too, if we didn't break up." He continued, looking her in the eyes. "And tonight, when you overheard me on the phone, they threatened to do something else, unless I killed Doc. But I couldn't do it…"

His eyes widened as he comprehended something that he'd forgotten. "Oh my gosh… That means that they're gonna try to hurt somebody we know!"

Sally drove up next to him, cuddling into his side. "I can't believe that someone would be this cruel…"

Lightning sighed, nuzzling her fender. They stayed cuddled against one another for awhile, before the sun finally went down. Lightning opened his eyes, turning his gaze to the Porsche beside him. "We might need to get home before it gets to dark… That creep could be anywhere."

Sally sighed in contentment, nodding slightly. She opened her eyes, smiling over at him. "Do you realize that I haven't cuddled with you in a whole day?"

He smiled, kissing her lightly on the fender. "I'm sorry… I was trying to protect you."

She returned the kiss, but instead of on the fender, connected their lips. They pulled apart after a few seconds, smiling at each other.

"So… does this mean that we're dating, again?" Lightning asked.

Sally laughed, starting towards the road. "Yep… Lucky me."

Lightning scowled playfully, before following her back down towards town.

They drove on for awhile, making sure to stick together. As the darkness fell, Sally switched on her headlights. She felt Lightning shiver next to her, and smiled.

"What's wrong, Stickers? Afraid of the dark?" She asked, nudging him playfully with her tire.

"No, no… I'm just being stalked by some freak, and I'm out in the middle of nowhere with no headlights… How do you think I feel?" He replied, looking around nervously.

"Aw…… It's ok. You can share mine." She said slyly, cuddling up closer to him.

He smiled, cuddling up against her. He heard a twig crack somewhere behind them, but decided to ignore it. He heard it again, and cuddled closer to Sally.

"Did you hear that?" He asked, looking over at her.

"Hear what?" She asked, smiling at him.

He heard it again, stopping. "There it goes again."

Sally stopped next to him, looking a confused. "I don't hear any—"

She cut off, stopping in her tracks when she heard it. Lightning looked over at her, gulping. She shakily looked in her rear-view mirrors, her breath getting heavy. "Lightning, I think there's somebody following us!"

"I know," He whispered. "Come on, we've got to get out of here!"

And with that, they both took off down the road, not daring to look behind them. Lightning could here an engine roaring behind them, and sped up, barely seeing the town's neon lights up ahead…

o----------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

**Ya'll are gonna kill me for this. Lol, I luv cliff hangers!**


	9. Chapter 9

Lightning and Sally raced through town, screeching to a halt just in front of Flo's café. They quickly drove up to the pumps, hiding behind them.

"What's up with you two?" Sheriff asked, driving over to them.

Lightning shakily drove out from behind the pump he was at, checking to see where the car had gone. Seeing nothing, he drove back over Sally, nuzzling her fender comfortingly.

"Are you ok?" He asked, looking her over.

She nodded, looking still shaken up. Lightning turned back to Sheriff and the others, letting out his breath in relief.

"Dang, buddy. You look like you've just seen tha Ghost Light!" Mater exclaimed.

"What happened, Lightning?" Doc asked, driving up to him.

Lightning choked back his sudden urge to cry, looking Doc in the eyes. "D-Did you tell them?"

Doc nodded, driving up to the other side of him, as Flo did the same to Sally. "What's gotten you two so shaken up? Was it him? Is he here?"

"That creep was following us! He chased us all the way here!" Lightning replied in an almost-panicky voice. "A-And now, who knows _what_ he's gonna do next…"

He felt Sally's fender nudge his own, and leaned on it, sighing in confusion.

"Look, I'm sorry." Lightning said, looking at the ground, still leaning on Sally. "If I hadn't decided to stay here, then that guy wouldn't be using you guys to get to me."

"Stop talking nonsense, son. We all care about you, and we're not going to let anyone hurt you, or anybody else. It's not your fault, so stop feeling guilty." Doc said calmly, watching the younger car intently.

Lightning looked up at him, still trying to hold back his tears. He knew Doc was right, he was always right. "I-I think I'm going to turn in early."

And with that, Lightning pulled away from Sally, heading towards his cone. Doc sighed, and turned to Mater. "Mater, go with him. Just in case."

"Yes Sir!" Mater replied, driving after his buddy.

After Lightning and Mater left, everyone else remained quiet for a moment. Just staring at Doc, and the spot where Lightning was.

"I've never seen him like this…" Sally said finally, breaking the silence.

Doc nodded. "He's trying to stay strong through all of it, but I think it's starting to get to him."

"Why would anyone want to hurt him like this?" Flo asked, shaking her front.

"I bet it's a-Chick Hicks!" Luigi exclaimed. "I a-never liked that green car…"

"I don't think it's Chick," Doc stated. "He might be aggressive on the race track, but I don't think he'd stoop that low…"

"I don't care who it is, but when I catch them, I'll make sure personally that they get sent to prison for life!" Sheriff said heatedly, stomping a tire in anger.

Mater suddenly pulled up, looking crestfallen. Everyone turned to him, giving him questioning looks.

"Mater… I thought I told you to go with Lightning." Doc said.

"I know, and I did. But when I got there, he was just sitting in his room, cryin'. I tried to cheer him up, by jumping in front of his window with some cones stuck to ma teeth like a vampire… And it sorta scared him, but he just started cryin' even harder, and turned his back on me." Mater replied, looking down disappointedly.

Doc exchanged glances with Sheriff briefly, looking back to the tow truck. "Mater, I don't think that you should've done that."

"I'm sorry, I just hate ta see him so down…" Mater said, shaking his front sadly.

"I hate to see him like this…" Flo said, looking over towards the motel.

Sally nodded in agreement. "I'm going over to see him."

"Sally, I think he might want to be alone." Doc said quietly, cutting in front of the Porsche's path.

"Somebody needs to be with him, and I can't stand to see him lose it like this." Sally replied, attempting to drive around him.

"But, sweetheart, what if he doesn't want you to see him crying? It might be embarrassing for him." Flo said, driving up next to her.

Sally sigh exasperatedly, facing the two cars. "Look, I don't care if he gets embarrassed or not. My boyfriend's on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and I'm going over to see him, whether you think I should or not."

Doc looked over a Flo, and she just merely shrugged. He nodded at Sally, watching her smile gratefully as she departed, and headed for the motel.

o-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

"Stickers?" Sally called, knocking on his door. She looked around at her surroundings nervously, knocking more frantically. "Stickers? Stickers, let me in! Please? It's creepy out here."

The door finally opened, revealing the depressed racecar. Sally noticed that he had been crying, and offered him a weak smile. He just merely looked at the ground, not saying anything.

"So, um, I was wondering if you wanted to share… maybe, a bigger cone? Ya know, with me?" Sally suggested, noticing him perk up a little.

"Uh, sure… I guess." He replied, driving out of his cone. He stopped suddenly, raising his windshield. "This isn't some kinda weird trick to get me to…?"

"What? No! No, I just thought that maybe you didn't want to be alone. Considering that someone is out to get you…" Sally replied, blushing a bit.

He chuckled, seeing how flustered she was getting. "It's ok, I was just kidding."

"Oh." She said, starting to drive towards the bigger cone. Lightning followed her, sighing to himself.

They entered the cone together, driving slowly. Sally cut the lights on, while Lightning looked around.

"Wow, this place is…" He cut off, noticing the heart-shaped rug on the floor.

"The honeymoon suite, I know…" Sally finished for him, sighing. "I'm sorry, but Mack has the other biggest room."

They remained quiet for a little while, not knowing what to do next. Sally looked over a Lightning, seeing how depressed he looked.

"Stickers?" She said finally, making him look up. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." He replied, stifling a yawn. "I'm really tired… It's kinda been a long day."

Sally nodded, smiling to herself. She giggled, making Lightning look over at her.

"What?" He asked, a small smile creeping on his face.

She shook her front, still smiling. "It's nothing."

"What, what is it?" Lightning asked again, laughing a little.

"It's just that… I remember the night that you first stayed at the Cozy Cone. And you said _that_, then you felt bad about it, and thanked me for giving you a cone." Sally said, recalling his first night there.

"Oh…" Lightning replied, remembering that night.

"And I also found out that you had a crush on me…" Sally said, looking at her tires.

Lightning snapped his attention back up to her. "Wait, what? I thought you said that all you heard us talking about was a—?"

"I lied, ok? You seemed like you didn't want me to know." Sally replied, shrugging.

Lightning laughed. "So you knew all along that I liked you?"

"Pretty much." Sally said, snuggling up to him. "But you wanna know a secret?"

"What?" Lightning asked, nuzzling her fender in return.

She inched a little closer to him, giving him her flirtiest smile. "I had a crush on you too." She whispered.

He smiled. "No way… I thought that you thought I was an idiot!"

"No I didn't… I thought that you were obnoxious, and arrogant." She argued, seeing his smile fade. "But then I saw that you were changing."

"Oh?" Lightning said, smiling.

"Yea, you started to care for us… And I started to care for you." Sally replied, inching closer and closing the gap between their lips.

They pulled apart, smiling. Lightning yawned, his eyes drooping.

Sally smiled in amusement. "Aw, the baby's sleepy."

"Shuddap…" He replied, frowning.

She laughed, cuddling into his side as they drifted off to sleep.

o--------------------------------------------------------------------------------o

**Ok, sucky ending… And I've noticed a pattern in my stories: They cry, they kiss, they cry, they cuddle, they CRY, then they hug! I need to stop with the crying… sheesh. Anyways, reviews anyone?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Phew… THIS took awhile to write. Lol. I've been sorta busy during the last few weeks, so forgive me for the major delays on the updates. **

Lightning twitched slightly in his sleep, leaning over to one side. He woke up a little, furrowing his brow when he didn't feel anyone by his side.

"Sally?" He asked, cracking one eye open. He opened the other one when he didn't get a reply, to find that she wasn't there. He opened the door to the garage, and made his way to Flo's.

"Morning sweetheart." He was greeted as he parked at his normal spot.

"Morning. Has anyone seen Sally?"

Flo looked mildly surprised. "She came by this morning and got two quarts of oil and headed back to the Cozy Cone to give you one. Didn't she ever wake you up?"

"No." Lightning said, slightly worried.

Flo looked around the café, then finally spotted Sheriff.

"Have you seen Sally this morning, Sheriff?"

He looked up from his drink. "No… Why?"

"Because we can't find her." Lightning said, looking around the café, half expecting for her to jump out from behind one of the stalls.

Flo nudged his tire gently, giving him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, hon'. Have you checked everywhere?"

"No. Just here, and the Cozy Cone."

"See?" She smiled. "We just have to search the town. She could have drove up to Wheel Well for all we know…"

Lightning shook his front. "No, after our near-death experience last night, she wouldn't have driven up there by herself."

Flo opened her mouth as if she had another suggestion, but closed it again when she realized she couldn't think of anything.

"Why are we just sitting here? We need to organize a search party, and check all the shops. We're probably be getting excited over nothing! She could be with Mater for all we know…" Sheriff said.

Just then, Mater pulled up, yawning a bit. "Mornin'!" He said cheerfully. Lightning sunk down on his shocks, looking at the ground.

"Dadgum buddy, you look sadder than Red on a rainy day."

Lightning sighed. "Okay, look. We have got to find her. I don't care what it takes. Just find her! If she gets hurt because of me, I—I don't know what I'll do…"

Flo nodded. "But how do you even know she's missing from the town?"

"Because… Because, she wouldn't just go around doing stuff when this whole town is in danger."

Flo and Sheriff exchanged glances. "What do you mean by, 'this whole town'?" Sheriff asked.

"I mean, this whole town is in serious danger while I'm here. Sally wouldn't just leave without telling someone." Lightning replied, looking at his tires, then back at them.

There was a short silence, which Sheriff eventually broke, "I guess I should go tell Doc. Flo, Lightning, stay here just in case she shows up. Doc, Mater, Sarge, Ramone, and I will go—"

"No," Lightning cut in. "I'm going to."

"But, son—" Sheriff said defiantly.

"But nothing. This is my mess. I'm helping."

--------------------------------------------------------

"Where could she be, Sheriff?" Doc asked a few hours later, when the six guys made their way down the main strip of the mother road.

"I have know idea, but I've alerted the Carburetor County police, and the Troop County Police too, just in case they see her. Or, you know… find her." He replied.

Doc nodded. "I hope nothing happens to her. Lightning would be devastated,"

They both looked in their rearview mirrors, to where Ramone, Sarge, and Mater were bringing up the rear, Lightning driving by himself in the center.

They stopped at a small service station not far from the highway, to fill up on gas and grab a quart of oil.

Lightning went off to sit by himself in a corner, while the others talked about what exactly happened.

_Where is she? What if something happened to her? She could be lying in a ditch somewhere! Ford, please let her be okay… _He thought, not even noticing when Doc pulled up beside him.

"Worried about her?" He asked.

Lightning nodded, looking up at the old Hornet. He smiled.

"Don't worry, son. We'll find her."

Lightning sighed inwardly, still deep in thought.

_She's probably scared to death. What if he has her? What is he going to do? Chrysler, don't let her be hurt because of me…_

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally cracked an eye open, slowly regaining consciousness. She opened both eyes, only to see nothing. She realized that she had a blind fold on. She also felt light, and realized that she was up on a lift. Not daring to move, she felt panic sinking in, and her tank lurched. Where was she? And what was she doing there?

She felt tears build in her eyes, and slowly let them fall, most of them staining her blindfold.

_Stickers, where are you?_

--------------------------------------------------------------------

**So Sally's been car-napped! And the guys have NO idea where she is! She doesn't even know where she is! This is getting better and better… Lol, I actually came up with this idea a few days ago in science when I was bored. Hehe… (btw, it has a surprise at the end! But I'm not gonna tell you what it is! Mwhahaha!)**

**Ok, this is waaaaaay shorter than intended. I actually cut 1 chapter in half so I could update sooner. Next chapter will be here soon… hopefully…… **


	11. Chapter 11

The sun was just starting to set as the guys made their way down the main stretch of road going through RailWood, a small town no bigger than Radiator Springs, just outside of Troop County. As darkness fell around them, they pulled off the road, and into a small parking lot.

"Hey Doc?" Lightning asked after looking around.

"Yeah?"

"What are we doing?"

Doc turned to face him, looking him over. He noticed how tired the younger car looked, and sighed. "We're just pulling off for a breather."

"But, we need to keep—"

"You need some sleep. If you could see yourself right now, I don't think you'd be arguing."

Lightning blinked, sinking down on his shocks. Doc continued driving towards a small gas station, in hope to find help.

"Hello?" He called out, making a small Honda Civic jump. She turned around, smiling when she saw that it was a customer.

"Hi! Welcome to Grandma Sawyer's diner. My name's Christine, can I help you?" She asked in a thick southern accent.

"Yes, I was just wondering if—"

"Ask him if he brought anybody else!" He heard an elderly voice yell from the back.

Samantha frowned, turning around. "Grandma would you just let me handle this?!" She turned back around, smiling apologetically. "Sorry 'bout that. You were saying?"

"I was just wondering if you knew a place where my friends and I could stay?" Doc said.

Her smiled faltered a little. "Oh, I'm sorry Sir. We ain't got a motel around here, but you're welcome to stay in any empty shed or garage you can find. They're ain't too many residents around here."

Doc nodded, sighing. "Thank you."

"'Night, Sir! Sorry for the inconvenience!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Sally sighed. She'd lost track of time, and had no idea how long she had been standing up on that lift. She'd spent most of that time thinking of a way to escape. Considering she had no idea where she was, and that she was blindfolded, and gagged up on a lift, she couldn't think of anything. She tried wedging the handkerchief out of her mouth, but almost vomited because it was so deep in her throat. She kept trying, and eventually spat it out, taking in deep breaths.

"H-Help!" She croaked.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

"This is hopeless!"

"Stop complaining, son," Doc scolded Lightning. "At least we have somewhere to sleep."

"Then why aren't we there?!"

"Because we haven't found it yet! Now shut your yap before I shut it for you!" Sheriff snapped.

They were all tired, their patience worn thin. If they didn't find somewhere to rest soon, someone was likely to get their tire ripped off.

"How about this shed?" Mater asked, referring to a small shack about 10 feet from the road.

"Nu-uh. Too small." Doc replied, shaking his front.

The rest let out several groans and complaints, but kept on moving.

They approached a slightly bigger shack, that looked as if the roof would fall in at any given moment.

"I think this'll work." Sheriff said.

"Is your windshield fogged up? Look at it!" Sarge argued.

Sheriff glared at him. "I'll fog your windshield…" He muttered.

"What was that?"

"I said I'll fog your goldurn windshield!"

"I'll do more than fog yours!"

Lightning slipped away from the rapidly increasing argument, and noticed a warehouse a short ways away from them. He approached it cautiously, and examined it. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard a soft, muffled noise. He drove up closer to it, and heard the noise again. It was difficult to understand, but it sounded as if someone was crying.

"How about we just talk this out?" He could hear Doc telling the old Jeep and Police Cruiser.

"Oh, I'll talk it out all right." Sheriff sneered.

"Oh, you will? Well come on then! Bring it—"

"Will you guys _shut-up_?!" Lightning suddenly snapped, his voice just above a whisper.

The other cars approached him, temporarily forgetting about their little dispute. They examined the warehouse carefully, not noticing the noise.

"Nice job, rookie. I think we can—" Doc started.

"Shhh…." Lightning whispered, cutting him off. "Listen."

Everyone grew silent, edging closer to the door.

"_H-h-heeelp……"_

Lightning pulled back, looking the rest of the cars in the face. "Was that just me, or did that sound like a cry for help?"

Sheriff nodded. "I say we investigate."

Ramone rolled his eyes. "What is this, man? Scooby Doo?"

Mater perked up. "Scooby Doo? I love that show!"

"Guys stay focused!" Lightning whispered. He turned to Doc. "What do you propose we do?"

"I say we go inside. It might be Sally. Or, it might be some defenseless car that needs help. Either way, we'd be of some help." Doc replied.

Lightning nodded, and reversed so that he was facing the door. He drove through it, and disappeared into the building. Mater, Ramone, Sheriff, and Sarge followed, leaving Doc to enter last. He drove slowly through the doors, stopping to look around. It seemed just like an empty warehouse. Everyone else seemed to think it was empty also. He spotted Lightning a few feet ahead of him, and drove up next to him.

"Maybe we were just hearing things, kid." He let out a small laugh, but stopped when he saw that Lightning wasn't laughing. He was just staring up at the ceiling, a blank expression on his face. Doc followed his gaze, and gasped.

"H-help me…"

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**Cliffhanger! Course, if you're smart, you should already know who's saying "H-help…"**

**Considering I told you in the last chapter! XD I'm on break for a week starting today, so expect an update sometime then. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Update woo! This is a bit short, but REEEALLY juicy. XD And way ta go SevenStar! You figured out that Sally wasn't on a lift after all! **

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"H-Help m-me…" Sally croaked again, shaking visibly from above them.

Doc tore his gaze from the young Porsche, and looked back at the red stock car beside him. Lightning was sitting as still as a statue, his expression unfathomable as he stared up at his girlfriend.

"Doc… Get her down." He said finally, his voice shaking slightly.

Doc looked hopelessly back up at the Porsche. "I would if I could, but I don't even see how she got up there."

"W-What do you mean?" Sally asked, her voice still a little raspy. "Just lower the lift."

"But… You're not on a lift."

"What do you mean I'm not on a lift?" Sally asked.

"You're not on a lift. It looks like you're up on a ledge, or platform of some sort."

Sally remained quiet. Lightning wasn't sure, but he could swear that she was crying.

"S-So, there's no way to get me down?" She asked finally.

Doc looked around the old warehouse again, turning his gaze to the high ceiling above them. He noticed the last bit of sunlight, shimmering through the windows, reflect off something in the corner. It was a crane. And an ancient one at that.

"Hey Sally?"

"Y-Yeah?" She sniffled.

"Do you hurt anywhere?"

"Well… My hood hurts, now that you mention it. And my sides. It feels like I've got a hangover."

Doc nodded. "I think I know how you got up there. But I'm not entirely sure. It's the only possible way to lift you up that far… Unless there's a ramp up there anywhere."

"There's not." A voice said from behind them.

Startled, everyone turned to face the voice. A shadow was lurking just in the doorway, a pair of bright gray eyes shining maliciously.

Doc heard Lightning growl from beside him, but didn't take his eyes off the mysterious car in front of him.

"Get… Her… Down. _Now._" Lightning said through gritted teeth.

The car grinned, still hidden in the shadows. "Why don't you come make me?"

Lightning let out a cry of rage, and plunged at the car. The car dodged out of the way, laughing coldly, as he revealed himself.

"You always were slow, McQueen."

Lightning eyes widened as he stared at the car in front of him.

"Jake?" He whispered finally.

Doc rolled up beside him. "You _know_ this creep?"

Lightning didn't reply, but continued to gape at the car in front of him.

Jake grinned spitefully. "Of course. We were only best friends in highschool."

Doc looked over at Lightning and saw that his eyes were welled with tears, as he continued to give Jake a hard look.

"What's wrong McQueen? Gonna cry? You always were weak…" Jake said scornfully, also noticing Lightning's tears.

Lightning just continued to stare at him. "Why are you _doing this_ to me? What did I ever do to you?"

"You stole everything from me!" Jake exclaimed, losing his posture. "You were always the popular one. The girl-magnet. Then you got famous. What makes you so damn special?"

"I didn't steal anything from you. You never tried to be popular, or get a girlfriend, or anything… Why are you taking all this out on me?"

"Because it's your fault!" Jake snapped. "You took it away from me! And now, I'm about to take something from you."

He pushed a button on the floor, and the crane started moving towards Sally. Lightning watched it approach her, pure panic rising in his hood as he realized what Jake was planning to do.

"Jake. Jake stop it. Please stop. You don't want to do this…"

Jake raised a brow. "Oh I don't?" He chuckled. "Let's just see about that…"

The crane latched onto Sally's roof, making her scream. She moved her tires around frantically as the crane lifted her up, desperately trying to maintain her grip on the platform.

"Sally!" Lightning cried. He turned on Jake. "Stop it! Jake I haven't done anything to you!"

"Liar!" Jake spat. "And with only one push of this button, we'll be even."

"Push that button and you'll be in prison for life!" Sheriff shouted.

Jake sneered. "If you can catch me, grandpa."

And he hit the button.

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**Hahahaha! Cliffhanger! **


	13. Chapter 13

"SALLY! NOOOOOOOOO!" Lightning screamed, his voice drowned out by Sally's screeches.

He turned to face away from her, flinching when he heard the deafening crash. Tears spilled out on his hood as he squeezed his eyes shut, not daring to look at the mess before him. He heard Doc and Sheriff pounce on Jake before he had a chance to get away. Struggling could be heard, as Jake strained to get away.

Time ticked by slowly in darkness, until Lightning felt someone nudge his side. He opened his eyes to see Doc staring at him concernedly. Lightning, not wanting to look at Sally, turned to the trapped Jake.

"Are you happy now?" He asked, surprised to find his voice steady. "You're a murderer Jake. I don't even know you anymore."

Jake frowned. "You never knew me, McQueen." 

Lightning sighed, closing his eyes for a brief second. "You know what? You're right. I never knew you. You were just some guy looking for popularity, and got it when you hung out with me."

Jake looked surprised. "I…I never… But…"

"And let me guess… You never really liked me that much, did you? I bet you just used me, and got jealous. And where are you now? In jail." Lightning said, shaking his front.

Jake looked as if he was going to say something, but closed his mouth and looked down shamefully instead.

Sirens could be heard approaching in the distance. Lightning continued to stare at Jake as Sheriff escorted him outside to where the police would be.

Lightning felt Doc come up beside him, and he sighed. "How—How bad does she look?"

"Not to good, hotshot." He admitted.

Lightning looked down at his tires, tears prickling at his eyes. He hesitantly reversed, and turned to face his girlfriend.

"Holy Ford..." He muttered. Sally was lying on her side, her whole right side crushed in, a large puddle of oil surrounding her. Her eyes were shut tight.

Doc nudged his tire in a comforting manner. "She's still breathing, but we need to get her to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. I believe one of the officers said that paramedics were on the way."

Lightning didn't budge, or reply. He just sat there, stars starting to pop up in front of his eyes.

"You… okay, hotrod?"

He shook his front a little. "No, not really. I think I'm gonna be sick."

At that same moment, paramedics rushed into the room, surrounding Sally. They packed her into the back of an ambulance, and took off, leaving the door open behind them. A female police officer made her way into the room, driving up to Doc and Lightning.

"Excuse me, but I need to ask a few questions." She said politely.

Doc explained everything to her, Lightning nodding every so often, not talking due to the fact that he was still struggling not to cry.

The officer finally left, leaving Doc, Lightning, Ramone, Mater, and Sarge alone. Sheriff was still outside talking to the police.

"Are we going to tha hospi-tal?" Mater asked.

"You bet, man. We gotta make sure Sally's ok." Ramone said.

Lightning completely felt suffocated at this point. Without saying a word, he drove outside, away from the tension.

He sat by himself, sighing as he choked back the urge to cry. He heard somebody drive up beside him, and already knew who it was without looking up.

"I'm sorry, Doc. I never knew that he'd turn like that. I thought… I thought he was my friend. But I guess I was wrong…"

Doc smiled a little. "You gotta stop apologizing when it's not your fault."

Lightning sighed. "I just feel so guilty…"

"Sally's not gonna blame you. She knows it wasn't your fault. It was just some psychopath trying to break you."

Lightning nodded. "Yeah… I guess. I still feel guilty." 

Doc nudged his tire. "She loves you, son. She wouldn't want you feeling like this."

"Really think so?"

"I don't think, I know." Doc said with a knowing smile.

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**Okay, so chapter's have been getting shorter, but that's just because I don't want you guys attacking me because I'm taking forever. XD So I just cut this chapter in half, and will get the other one in when I get some freetime.**


	14. Chapter 14

Doc entered Sally's hospital room, coming up beside the sleeping car. She continued to sleep, undisturbed. Doc watched her for a few seconds, then went back out to the waiting room.

He looked around, noticing something missing. He parked beside Sheriff, looking around the tense atmosphere.

"Where's McQueen?"

"Outside." Sheriff grunted. "How's Sally?" He added.

"She's stable. She honestly looks a lot better than when we first got here." He replied.

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Lightning sighed as he sat alone in the darkness, watching as cars drove by him, entering and exiting the hospital. _How could I let this happen? I should have been watching her…_

He heard someone drive up quietly beside him, and didn't look up.

"She's doin' fine kid. Don't worry."

"Thanks, Doc. But I can't help but worry." Lightning replied, still not looking at him.

An uneasy silence fell between them, where they both just watched the cars go by.

"So…. Have you thought about popping the question to Sally?" Doc asked.

Lightning snapped his attention to the old Hornet quickly, his eyes growing wide. "Wha…. I—I haven't…. Uh……"

Doc laughed. "I'm just messing with ya, kid. I had to get your attention somehow."

Lightning narrowed his eyes, but smiled nonetheless.

"So, do you want to go see her?" Doc asked with a sudden seriousness, his voice dropping an octave.

"No… Well, yeah… I don't know…"

Doc raised a brow, which Lightning quickly noticed.

"I—I mean, I want to, because I'm worried. But part of me doesn't want to see her like that…" Lightning said, looking down at his tires helplessly.

"Oh…" Doc said, nodding understandingly. He suddenly looked down at the younger car, nudging him sincerely with his tire. "She doesn't look that bad. And I'm sure she'd want you to be there with her…"

Lightning didn't reply, but just stared ahead thoughtfully.

"How about it kid?" Doc asked.

Lightning's mouth curved slightly in a small smile. "If I go, will you stop bugging me?"

Doc laughed. "Sure, sure. Whatever you say, hotrod."

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Faint beeping noises could be heard as they approached the hospital room, getting louder as they drove closer. Doc drove beside Lightning the whole way, dropping behind them as they got to the door, allowing him to go in first.

Lightning cringed at the sight of his girlfriend. She was still dented up pretty bad, and most of her paint was scraped off her right side. Her entire right fender was crushed in, and she was still out cold. Lightning drove up beside her on her left side, gently nuzzling her comfortingly. It was pretty much just to reassure himself that she was okay.

She remained asleep, her body moving up and down gently as she slept. Lightning sighed inwardly, looking over at Doc. He gave the young stock car a reassuring smile, before heading back out to the waiting room.

Lightning watched as he left, then rested down on his shocks as his weariness overtook him. He continued to watch Sally, until he felt his eyelids start to droop, and finally drifted into a restless sleep.

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Lightning awoke the next morning, feeling as if he hadn't gotten any sleep at all. He drove out into the waiting room, and immediately got tackled by a green show-car. Flo held him in a tight embrace, making it quite hard for him to breathe.

"Oh, sweetheart! You must be so worried about Sally. But it's gone be alright, okay?" She said, finally letting go of her hold.

Lightning nodded, giving her his best forced smile. "Yeah, I know. Thanks, Flo."

He drove over to where Doc was talking to Sheriff, and parked beside the old Hornet. Doc turned to him after a few minutes, noticing for the first time how tired Lightning looked.

"Get any sleep, son?"

"Yeah," Lightning lied, stifling a yawn. "I'm gonna go get some breakfast. Let me know if anything happens, okay?"

"Okay, hotrod. See ya in a bit." Doc said, returning to his conversation with Sheriff.

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Lightning watched as Sally's body moved up and down slowly as she breathed, undisturbed from her sleep. He clicked on the TV, just in time to see Dale Jr. cross the finish line on the screen. _It's Sunday already?_ Lightning thought. _Well, at least Chick didn't win…_ He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a sudden rustling at his side. He faced the unconscious car beside him, noticing that she was stirring for the first time. He gently nudged her, watching as she opened one green eye, then shut it again against the bright light. She opened both her eyes slowly, smiling weakly when she saw him by her side.

"S-Stickers?"

"Hey," He replied quietly.

Her smiled faded a little as she let out a low groan, and closed her eyes. "What hit me last night?"

He smiled meekly. "Uh… The floor."

She smiled a little, her eyes still closed in pain.

"Do you need me to go get some painkillers?"

"Sure, Stickers. Thanks."

He smiled softly, kissing her on the fender. "I love you,"

She opened her eyes, looking a little surprised. He rarely ever said those three words. She smiled too, nudging his tire. "Love you too."

He grinned wider, driving slowly past her and out the door.

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**Okay, I reeeally like this chapter. LOL, so tell me what you think. I was listening to Comatose by Skillet for part of writing this, it really inspired me. I just really like that song, too. xD It took me 2 weeks to figure out what to write next, then write it, plus I didn't write it all at the same time, so forgive me if something doesn't make sense or something.**


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